Monday September 14, 2020 | SOOKE & JUAN DE FUCA
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
During heavy smoke conditions, you are at risk regardless of their age or health.
That was the key health tip from Juan de Fuca Emergency Program Coordinator Jeri Grant over this past weekend as wildfire smoke blanketed the South Vancouver Island area.
To help protect your health during a wildfire, Jeri has three quick tips, as posted on the @jdfemerg Twitter feed:
“You can limit your outdoor activity, drink lots of water, and keep windows and doors closed in both your home and vehicle,” she says.
Wildfire smoke contains toxins:
Wildfire smoke contains particulate from all the items that have burned including forest, houses and infrastructure. That means there’s plastic, wood, metal and other toxins in the smoke, in addition to the forest materials and the fire-fighting chemicals.
Conditions remain 10+ in the west shore area:
The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is at 10+ this morning in the west shore area. There is a bit more breeze on the truer west side of the island (Sooke, Tofino, etc.) until the wind direction changes.
Jeri Grant says to expect continued smoky sky conditions for the next few days, to varying degrees.
COVID-19 overlay:
On top of COVID-related reasons to stay indoors, this adds to the need for isolating at home or indoors during work or school time.
This presents a challenge for ventilation during COVID (i.e. window open) versus avoiding the toxic smoky-skies outdoor air (i.e. windows closed). Particularly so for schools where optimum ventilation is sought during in-class conditions during the pandemic.
Use the COVID-19 Self Assessment Tool on the BC Health website to check the difference between COVID symptoms and what you might be experiencing in response to breathing wildfire smoke.
